SEARCH
SEARCH DIRECTORY
logo
The UK’s integrative cancer care charityHelpline 0870 163 2990
menu
This window has opened in a new tab in your browser. Your Search Results can still be seen in the original tab. You can keep several tabs open if you wish, or simply close each one as you finish reading it.
Important Information:
Yes to Life's website content is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information is for educational and informational purposes only and has not been reviewed by medical doctors or oncologists. Cancer is a highly complex group of diseases, and it is known to manifest differently in different people, often responding more favourably to individualised approaches to treatment and care. Yes to Life advocates that any person diagnosed with, or suspected of having, cancer, consults with a suitably qualified and experienced medical professional before initiating any type of therapy or supportive treatment. Click here to read our full Disclaimer.
Oncothermia
Also Known As:
Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia, m-EHT
Summary:

Oncothermia is a widely used and researched method of targeting cancer cells by passing both focused and controlled heat, and an electric field, through cancer tissue.

Published data shows that, when used as a complementary therapy along with traditional medical therapies, oncothermia can significantly improve patients’€™ conditions, prolong survival and enhance quality of life.

Oncothermia can be used with all stages of cancer. It is mainly used with metastatic cancer and advanced solid cancers that are inoperable.

See also Hyperthermia.

The difference between Hyperthermia and Oncothermia lies in how the heat is used. Conventional hyperthermia disperses the heat. Oncothermia, on the other hand, focuses on the tumour. In this way it captures the cancer cells by the frequency they emit. The treatment is more focused and effective.

Description:

The area of the body affected by the cancer is positioned between two electrodes. An electric field is generated by the two electrodes. Since cancer cells have a higher conductivity than normal cells, the electric field flows predominantly through the cancer cells, that is, it flows selectively through cancer cells.

The combination of deep heat and the electric field leads to changes in the cancer cell membrane which in turn triggers cell death (known as apoptosis) as well as other effects including:

  • Reduction of new blood vessel formation by cancer cells (known as angiogenesis);
  • Formation of heat shock proteins on the surface of cancer cells that activate the immune system to recognise the cancer cells;
  • Activation of tumour suppressor genes such as p53.

The immune response to oncothermia has been shown to have an effect on distant metastases as well as at the site of the primary tumour; this is known as the abscopal effect.

There are differences between oncothermia and classical hyperthermia at both cellular and physiological level:

  • The heat used in oncothermia is absorbed selectively by cancer cells. Due to the focused energy flow of oncothermia, more than 95% of the energy dose is absorbed into the tumour.
  • Traditional hyperthermia focuses on temperature, whilst oncothermia works by controlling the absorbed energy, ie. the heat, within the tumour cells. The oncothermia technique results in higher heat absorption within the tumour, with subsequently more potent effects.

Oncothermia can be used with all stages of cancer although its main use is with metastatic cancer and advanced solid cancers that are inoperable.

Some publications on Oncothermia:

The safety and pharmacokinetics of high dose intravenous ascorbic acid synergy with modulated electrohyperthermia in Chinese patients with stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Modulated Electrohyperthermia in Integrative Cancer Treatment for Relapsed Malignant Glioblastoma and Astrocytoma: Retrospective Multicenter Controlled Study.

Upregulation of heat shock proteins and the promotion of damage-associated molecular pattern signals in a colorectal cancer model by modulated electrohyperthermia.

History:

The use of heat to treat cancer dates back to about 3000 BC. There are several ways to apply heat to tumour cells. Oncothermia is an advanced technique in the field of hyperthermia and is based on the work of Dr. András Szász, a professor of biophysics.

Oncothermia is currently used in 32 countries worldwide with over 200,000 treatments delivered every year. There are many scientific publications showing the benefits of oncothermia in different cancers. Please see below for some of these. More studies can be found in the Oncothermia journal here.

Notes:

Oncothermia is usually used as a supportive treatment, combined with orthodox chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or with other approaches. Research shows that oncothermia enhances the effects of chemotherapy and reduces the risk of resistance to chemotherapy drugs.

More publications on Oncothermia:

Treatment outcome analysis of chemotherapy combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia compared with chemotherapy alone for recurrent cervical cancer, following irradiation.

In vitro comparison of conventional hyperthermia and modulated electro-hyperthermia.

Electro-hyperthermia up-regulates tumour suppressor Septin 4 to induce apoptotic cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combined treatment with modulated electro-hyperthermia and an autophagy inhibitor effectively inhibit ovarian and cervical cancer growth.

Comparison of biological effects of modulated electro-hyperthermia and conventional heat treatment in human lymphoma U937 cells.

Modulated electro-hyperthermia enhances dendritic cell therapy through an abscopal effect in mice.

Modulated electro-hyperthermia induced loco-regional and systemic tumor destruction in colorectal cancer allografts.

Oncothermia: a new paradigm and promising method in cancer therapies.
Current status of Oncothermia therapy for lung cancer.

Hyperthermia versus Oncothermia: Cellular Effects in Complementary Cancer Therapy.

Clinical and economic evaluation of modulated electrohyperthermia concurrent to dose-dense temozolomide 21/28 days regimen in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma



Report An Error
Practitioners
+
Dr Emma Davies
Stockbridge, UK England (SouthEast)

Dr Emma Davies worked in surgical oncology and is an integrative oncology doctor ...
Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel
Stockbridge, UK England (SouthEast)

Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel is an award-winning Oxbridge-trained integrative medicine doctor, scientist and educator ...
Olena Jones
Stockbridge, UK England (SouthEast)

Olena Jones is a CNHC and BANT registered nutritionist and nutritional therapy practitioner ...
Korina Karadimou
Stockbridge, UK England (SouthEast)

Korina Karadimou is a BANT-registered nutritionist and nutritional therapy practitioner specialising in integrative cancer nutrition support ...
Emma Marshall
Emma Marshall is a registered Nutritional Therapist and Certified Oncology Nutrition Consultant, as well as an experienced chef who specialises in working with breast cancer patients ...
Dr Aryan Tavakkoli
Lewes, UK - England (South East)

Dr Tavakkoli provides integrative support for adult patients with previous or current cancer in her clinic Quantum Clinic ...
Clinics
+
Clinica Checa
Granada, Spain

Clinica Checa is an Integrative Oncology clinic providing Oncothermia in Spain ...
Hyperthermie-Zentrum Praxisklinik Dr Med Siebenhüner
Frankfurt, Germany

Dr Med Gerhard Siebenhüner and the Hyperthermie-Zentrum Praxisklinik consult with an established team of nationwide pool of physicians, giving the patient the ultimate expert consultation and a comprehensive treatment ...
Klinik St. George
Bad Aibling, Germany

Klinik St George is an integrated clinic offering conventional medicine (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) and nutritional supplements ...
Medias-klinikum Burghausen
Burghausen, Germany

The Medias Klinikum in Burghausen is a private clinic that hyperthermia and pain therapy ...
Oncothermia Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain

Oncological Nanothermia or Oncothermia is a method of electromagnetic non-invasive modulated hyperthermia, adjuvant in the treatment against cancer ...
Quantum Clinic
Lewes, UK - England (South East)

Quantum Clinic is a progressive medical clinic offering a Functional Medicine and Integrative Medicine approach to adults with cancer ...
Synthesis Clinic
Stockbridge, UK England (SouthEast)

Founded by Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel, Synthesis Clinic offers an award-winning personalised approach to women’s health and integrative cancer care ...
Thera Praxisklinik
Berlin, Germany

Dr. med. Ralf Heinrich is a medical doctor and a naturopathic doctor, as well as the head of the THERA Practice Clinic ...
Information & Advice
+
Cancer Information and Support Society (CISS) (The)
St Leonards, Australia

CISS provides information about alternative cancer therapies and support for those who choose to use them ...
Cancer Options
Nottingham, UK

Patricia Peat, founder of Cancer Options, support people with cancer by looking at their individual needs, taking a metabolic, integrative approach to develop support plans ...
Canhelp Inc
Livingstone, United States

CANHELP serves patients and/or family members who wish to take an active part in the healing process and are willing to think outside the conventional medical box ...
Yes to Life
London, UK - England (South East)

Yes to Life is a charity that offers support to people with cancer in the UK who want to take a proactive role in their treatment ...